The word order is very rigid in English. The most important rule is Subject — Predicate — Object. We usually use this word order to form an English sentence.
Nick bought a pair of skis. He met his best friend.
In questions an auxiliary verb is put at the beginning of the question.
Did Nick buy a pair of skis? Could he meet his best friend?
Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency (often, sometimes, always, usually, …) are usually put between the subject and the predicate, but they can also go in front position (except always, ever and never) or in end position.
Nick usually buys a pair of skis every year. He often meets his best friend. We don’t visit them very often. Sometimes they go to the movies on Sundays.
NOTE: A verb sometimes consists of two or more words. Then the adverb of frequency has to be put between them.
I can never remember his name. Ann doesn’t usually get up early. Your car has probably been stolen.
NOTE: Adverbs of frequency go before have to.
Example: We always have to wait a long time for the bus.
NOTE: Adverbs of frequency go after am, is, are, was or were. But in questions the adverb is put after the subject.
Example: You are never on time. Are they always on holidays in July?
Adverbs of manner, place and time
Adverbs of manner come before adverbs of place. Adverbs of places come before adverbs of time. We usually write these adverbs at the end of the sentence.
Nick bought a new pair of skis in Innsbruck yesterday. He practiced hard on the ski slope last week.
Adverbs can also be put at the front of the sentence when this information is important.
Last weekend he took some lessons on a ski slope. After dinner he met his friends.
If there are two adverbs of time, the more precise one comes first.
He is going to have a skiing lesson at 10 a.m. on Monday.
EXERCISES
Word order with the adverbs of frequency — Exercise 1
Word order with the adverbs of frequency — Exercise 2
Word order with the adverbs of frequency — Exercise 3
Word order in the present simple and past simple — Exercise
Word order in the present, past and future — Exercise
Word order in the present and past simple — Exercise — short sentences
Word order — forming questions in the present simple — Exercise
Word order — Exercise 8 — intermediate exercise
Word order — Exercise 9 — intermediate exercise
Word order — Exercise 10 — intermediate exercise
The standard order of words in an English sentence is subject + verb + object. While this sounds simple, there are far more complicated sentences where placing the words in the right order may turn out quite challenging.
Here we have prepared three types of interactive exercises created on Learning Apps and suitable for the Intermediate level.
Task 1. Choose the correct word order of the sentences
This exercise presents two options of sentences in which one sentence has the correct word order while the other does not. Here students get a general understanding of word order in English.
Task 2. Put the words in the correct order
Here students go deeper and have more practice with the word order in English. In the exercise, they will find examples with different types of adjectives, adverbs, indirect questions, etc.
Task 3. Complete the questions with the correct question tags
The last exercise aims to check how well your students know the rules of question tags.
Share with us in the comments below how effective the exercises were and how you usually practise word order with your Intermediate students.
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Andy and Jane came home from shopping on Saturday to find their house had been burgled. A police officer has come to investigate the crime.
OFFICER: You say you’re not sure how the thieves got in. Before I look round, can I ask you a few questions about the house?
ANDY: Of course.
OFFICER: (1) Do you lock the front door when you go out? (always)
…Do you always lock the front door when you go out?……
ANDY: (2) Yes, and I locked it yesterday. (definitely)
…Yes, and I definitely locked it yesterday. ……
OFFICER: OK. What about the windows?
ANDY: (3) Well, the downstairs ones are locked. (always)
……………………………………………………..
JANE: (4) We have a lock on the little one in the hall. (even)
……………………………………………………..
OFFICER: And upstairs?
JANE: (5) Well, I think most of the windows were locked. (probably)
……………………………………………………..
ANDY: (6) They were locked on Friday. (all)
……………………………………………………..
JANE: Are you sure?
ANDY: (7) Yes, I knew we would be out all day, so I checked them all. (both)
……………………………………………………..
OFFICER: And you didn’t open any on Friday night?
ANDY: (8) No, I didn’t. (certainly)
……………………………………………………..
OFFICER: Well, let’s have a look round.
1 Police stopped a woman driving …………. .
a dangerously in the city last night
b in the city dangerously last night
c in the city last night dangerously
2 …………. the new airport.
a Tomorrow the president is going to open
b The president tomorrow is going to open
c The president is going to tomorrow open
3 Most teenagers don’t do …………. .
a outside enough sport these days
b these days enough sport outside
c enough sport outside these days
4 Lynn Green played …………. .
a chess well last Tuesday
b chess last Tuesday well
c well chess last Tuesday
5 13-year-old Harry White has made over £1 million buying and selling on the Internet. ‘I spend ………….,’ he said.
a at the moment all my free time there
b all my free time there at the moment
c there all my free time at the moment